Tuesday of the Third Week of Lent - March 14, 2023

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Daniel 3:25, 34-43 Matthew 18:21-35

When asked to write a reflection I couldn’t have imagined that God would bless me with the one passage that is so important and personal. Today’s gospel hits close to home. Beyond my devoted wife and my close friends no one really understands the importance of forgiveness in my life. In the Gospel Peter asks, “Lord, when my brother wrongs me, how often must I forgive him? Seven times?” “No,” Jesus replied, “not seven times; I say seventy times seven times.” I have been forgiven more than what some should be, but I don’t believe that I have forgiven myself or others at the same accord. In fact, I know I haven’t. When Jesus talks about forgiving others what he is really saying is to forgive yourself. One cannot truly forgive others without truly forgiving yourself. I was under the belief that if I confess my sins, pray to God, and accept that God will let me into the Kingdom of Heaven I would be healed. The answer to that is No. Simply confessing to a wrong does nothing more than confess to words. Actions make confessions real.

I believe Visitation and everyone in the world needs a sense of belonging, community and friendship. I’ve been at Visitation since 2002. I’ve seen amazing things within the community, and I’ve seen pretty negative things. In the end though, we always seem to find a way to forgive and come together. Forgiveness seems difficult when we are focused on the wrong things. We have an amazing group of families and leadership. We should respect it and celebrate it.

Through my experiences participating in CRHP, serving as a Eucharistic minister and many  conversations with our friends, I have met some amazing individuals in this community who taught me the importance of friendship, kindness and compassion. I hope to also share those qualities with everyone around me including those I might find it hard to forgive. This Lenten season I pray to be more understanding of others, to forgive, and to be closer to God.

Q: What actions do I need to take to be more forgiving?

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